Homegrown Adult Entertainment Channel Ready To Launch In Canada

 Move over “Little Mosque on the Prairie” and “Corner Gas.”

The newest frontier in a push for Canadian content is decidedly less family friendly.

Canada’s broadcast regulator has given the green light for the country’s first adult television channel with “significant” homegrown content — called Northern Peaks.

It would be a national, English-language pay television service from Edmonton-based Real Productions.

According to the company it would be “Canada’s first adult video channel offering significant Canadian adult content,” the CRTC decision states.

“The applicant indicated that it would also air the adult versions of Real Productions’ cable television series and produce its own adult movies, events and series.”

Real Productions’ website states it is a “premier adult video production company specializing in unique amateur XXX and swinger videos.”

“What makes us unique?” it says.

“Simply, our ability to find lovely women who have never appeared in an adult video in their lives and tape them in fully explicit action with amateur male performers!”

But before getting its broadcast licence, Northern Peaks must first find at least one licensed provider to distribute its channel within three years from Wednesday, when the CRTC decision was issued. It was approved as a “Category 2” pay television service, which means it doesn’t have guaranteed distribution rates, so it must negotiate with providers.

The licence go-ahead also comes with several conditions attached, including that at least half of the broadcast day and evening broadcast must be domestic content.

Canadian broadcast regulations require the station to feature 15 per cent Canadian content, but the company says it has voluntarily pledged to up that to 50 per cent.

“I didn’t think it could be called Canadian content at 15 per cent,” said Shaun Donnelly, owner of Real Productions, outside of yesterday’s shoot for Playboy TV’s Boy Nexxt Door on Stony Plain Road, another project the company is working on.

Canadians want to see porn produced in Canada, argued the company’s VP for Marketing, Ashley Corsiatto.   “One flavour of everything grows repetitive and tiresome after while. I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of seeing the Silicon Valley girls constantly. Different people like different things,” she said, emphasizing the company’s mandate to use amateurs rather than porn stars.

There are also certain categories the shows on Northern Peaks must fall under, such as: long-form documentary, dramatic series, comedy series, specials, miniseries, made-for-TV movies, feature films, game shows, general entertainment and human interest.

The CRTC also stipulates that a certain portion of the pay channels revenues must be invested in Canadian programs.

On its application, Real Productions said $1 million in expenditures will go toward acquiring Canadian programming in the first year of its licence.

Starting in the second year and in every subsequent year, the company said it will dedicate a minimum of 65 per cent of its gross revenue to the acquisition of Canadian programming.

The commission said no parties sought to intervene with the application.

Northern Peaks would also have to ensure it close captions all of its programs.

The licence expires Aug. 31, 2014.